TWO families were left homeless last night after a garden fire spread and ripped through houses.
Fire crews from across south Essex were called out to the incident around 3pm yesterday after receiving numerous emergency calls about thick smoke.
A garden fire is understood to have got out of control and spread to a conservatory of a home in Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon.
Firefighters arrived to find flames had also spread to the loft area, as well as the neighbouring property.
A fire service spokesman said: "Firefighters from Grays worked quickly to extinguish the fire by 5:20pm.
"Fortunately, nobody was harmed but two families have sadly been left homeless as a result of the fire.
"We would like to thank residents of South Ockendon for being patient with us while our crews tackled the fire."
Residents in the area were urged to close their windows as a result of the smoke coming from the fire.
The fire serice also said drivers should expect delays due to the incident.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here